Assistant Director, Stewardship

How to Apply

A cover letter is required for consideration for this position and should be attached as the first page of your resume. The cover letter should address your interest in this position, outline skills and experience that are related to this position and describe your interest in joining the Stewardship team and supporting the advancement of Michigan Medicine's mission.

The Office of Development supports a culture of flexibility, and a hybrid work arrangement is possible for this position. The position requires on-site work a minimum of two days per week at the Michigan Medicine Development offices. This does require flexibility based on the work demands of projects/events. 

Job Summary

Michigan Medicine is a groundbreaking organization for many reasons, and much of the work we do is made possible because of philanthropy. Annually, the MM Office of Development raises an average of $250 million, which helps us to be a change agent in the world. 

The Michigan Medicine stewardship team collaborates with gift officers and other core services teams to ensure that our donors have high-quality interactions that foster long-term engagement with and investment in our organization. The assistant director of stewardship is responsible for creating and consistently delivering innovative stewardship touches that strategically engage donors, recognize their contributions, and inform them about the use of their gift to Michigan Medicine. They will prepare and deliver donor recognition projects, facilitate mailings, run reports, and enter/validate data in our donor database and other tracking sheets. In addition, the assistant director works closely with colleagues to create, sustain, and further cultivate positive relationships with donors, university and Michigan Medicine stakeholders, and development team members. 

Responsibilities*

Stewardship Communications (50%)

• Draft customized letters for donors and stakeholders, including cover letters for reports, condolence letters, and other donor communications.
• Provide Michigan Medicine donors with consistent, timely, and informative impact reports.
  • Collaborate with gift officers and departments to gather information and interview faculty and staff to understand the impact of philanthropy on their work.
  • Translate scientific information into compelling storytelling that helps donors understand their impact on medical research projects, patient care, medical education, and community services.
  • Responsible for writing 3-4 impact report drafts per month, synthesizing and implementing edits requested by stakeholders, and creating final product in Adobe InDesign.
  • Work as a project manager for schedules, delivery of drafts in a timely manner, production of reports, delivery to donors, and documentation.

Donor Recognition Projects (25%)

• Implement and maintain donor recognition projects, including first-time donor program, recurring donors, loyal donors, Giving Blueday, and others.
• Deliver donor recognition projects to donors, including printing materials, hand-signing, collating and mailing materials, and placing thank you calls.
• Support the associate director of individual stewardship with annual endowment reporting and individual donor engagement projects.

Acknowledgements and Data Management (20%) 

• Prepare weekly executive acknowledgement mailings including data correction and verification, drafting engaging and impactful letters for multiple executives, gathering approvals and signatures, mailing, tracking, and follow-up.

• Collaborate with the associate director of stewardship to update all acknowledgements once per year. 

• Delivery of other stewardship data projects, including data correction and verification, responding to questions from internal and external partners about data, and clear communication and timeliness.

Communication and Collaboration (5%)

• Communicate with development colleagues and MM faculty, staff, and leadership in a clear, consistent, and effective manner about office policy, stewardship team requirements, deadlines, and projects (rollout, ongoing updates, and changes).
• Respond to questions/concerns and take appropriate action to resolve issues internally and/or escalate them appropriately.
• Collaborate with team members to continuously improve stewardship programs that creatively and strategically engage donors.
• Create strong working relationships with internal and external constituency groups to accomplish shared goals.
• Work with limited supervision to accomplish goals by independently setting priorities to meet deadlines.
• Work successfully in a fast-paced environment by adapting to ever-changing priorities and at times working under pressure.
• Work effectively with frequent interruptions.

• Contribute to a positive work culture while representing Michigan Medicine values and its unique role at the University of Michigan.

Required Qualifications*

• Bachelor's degree 
• At least three years of related experience
• Demonstrated strength in writing, including ability to clearly and effectively convey gratitude and to translate science into engaging storytelling
• Detail- and results-oriented with ability to accurately manage large amounts of data
• Proven ability to use discretion and maintain a high level of confidentiality

• Candidate must have access to reliable internet

Desired Qualifications*

• Bachelor's degree in English or writing preferred
• Proven ability to handle multiple projects simultaneously, set priorities, take initiative while keeping others informed, and meet challenging and changing deadlines

• Proficient with Microsoft Office Suite (Word, PowerPoint, Excel, Visio, etc.), Google Drive, Asana, and Adobe (Acrobat Pro, InDesign)

• Familiarity with development reporting systems

Modes of Work

Positions that are eligible for hybrid or mobile/remote work mode are at the discretion of the hiring department. Work agreements are reviewed annually at a minimum and are subject to change at any time and for any reason throughout the course of employment. Learn more about the work modes.

Work Locations

The on-site location for this position is an office suite at the 777 Building. This provides free, on-site parking for staff, including covered parking.

This position may be eligible for flexible work opportunities at the discretion of the hiring department. Flexible work agreements are reviewed annually and are subject to change depending on the business needs of the hiring department, throughout the course of employment. This position works both onsite and remotely based on the business needs of the unit. This position is locally based in Ann Arbor, MI. There is an opportunity for hybrid remote/local work, but on-site availability is a requirement.

Background Screening

Michigan Medicine conducts background screening and pre-employment drug testing on job candidates upon acceptance of a contingent job offer and may use a third-party administrator to conduct background screenings.  Background screenings are performed in compliance with the Fair Credit Reporting Act. Pre-employment drug testing applies to all selected candidates, including new or additional faculty and staff appointments, as well as transfers from other U-M campuses.

Application Deadline

Job openings are posted for a minimum of seven calendar days. The review and selection process may begin as early as the eighth day after posting. This opening may be removed from posting boards and filled at any time after the minimum posting period has ended.

U-M EEO Statement

The University of Michigan is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We are committed to providing an environment of mutual respect where equal employment opportunities are available to all applicants, including protected veterans and individuals with disabilities.